I had not addressed my opinion of the video itself but in my view there was nothing damaging about it.

If this was the only reason for their punitive action then I believe the guy's employer over reacted and perhaps should have simply admonished him or perhaps disciplined but firing?????? It makes the employer seem small if this was the case?????

This would be an interesting case to litigate because this guy videoed this piece on his own time and with his own equipment and because we have a David and Goliath scenario. Perhaps their is a valid legal concept in possession of this employer that I am missing??

Perhaps the Villages Media could claim copyright, etc but then they would have to sue the thousand upon thousands of people who video The Villages on a daily basis.

Perhaps they may make claim that the video was damaging but a sampling on this thread demonstrates that most people were favorable and hence the guy's video could be construed as a free and beneficial advertisement for TV.? We could go on... but without particulars ....................... to what avil

Perhaps as I stated previously we have a valid and legal situation where a company says I can fire you for anything or nothing and you can't do a darn thing about it and that ends it Perhaps they gave a valid cause for this termination? We don't know and while we can speculate we cannot pre-judge.

In the end I doubt for a number of reasons that a wrongful termination lawsuit will result anyway. Beside I just thinking aloud

In my opinion, the kid would be better off just to walk away from this. He should do fine with his future career.

We're only hearing one side of the story. Perhaps the video was not the reason the man was fired.

Tal: I agree and another issue struck me. It may be that the employer's "employee handbook" specifically prohibits this sort of behavior from an employee. I believe any legal action be initiated to find the truth but as you know with your legal background too often truth falls to the wayside

The employer could be very justified or perhaps the employee. with the little we all know about the incident the relationship legal/social between the employer and employee and the circumstances surround the video we are left only to speculate.

Like you a big part of my life had been around lawsuits and I can't help but let the juices flow when I read about something like this. Its just instinct and habit kicking in

Personal Best Regards:

The Villages Media Group Reviews | Glassdoor

I did find this interesting.

Offended. Mildly amused. Overly entertained. Righteous indignation over perceived trampling of rights. Keyboard lawyering. -- All of those things are woven into this thread -- the thread with its 15 minutes almost up.

Subjectivity aside, the name of the game is corporate politics. (And, of course, I don't mean dem or repub.) Somebody needs to tell young people the game is still the game. What do you think would have happened had this been Procter and Gamble or IBM?

It might not have been his dream job, but at least it was probably a stepping-stone job. And a job lots of other young people are lining up for, I bet.

He seems like a nice young man. And my guess is that he probably did not know any better. Because nobody ever told him.....

I spent a lot of years in secondary ed, and whether it was in my classroom or my office, I always had this Stephen Crane poem "A Man Said to the Universe" posted somewhere in sight....

A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."


.......I discussed with my students what they thought that little poem meant -- and sometimes I had to remind myself.

I wish this young man all the best, but I think some thinking through the situation is in order.

Boomer

You make a lot of sense. I bet you were a great educator.

OMG if we allow this video to go viral,thousands more will come!! One offensive word does not unemployment make...well except for the puritans. I laughed, and its good to laugh at oneself. Afterall Mr. Schwartz created this for us to be happy, joyous and free in our retirement. Good luck kid...stay creative.

If this video goes viral the last rec center will be in St. Pete

Unfortunately he had to learn a valuable lesson trying to be funny, don't let your video be about your employer and you will still be employed.

I though it was great. Funny and pretty accurate. I can't wait to see the sequel!

Accurate, to someone his age. Smile and enjoy. Should not have lost his job!

I'd have fired him, too.
 

First - let me state that I was younger than most when I moved to The Villages almost 16 years ago; I'm 58 now.
I'm comfortable with anyone presenting his/her's point of view; in keeping with our country's approach to freedom of speech.
HOWEVER. This guy worked for The Villages! Did he really think that his cutesy, snarky comments about our "old people" would be well received by the hand that fed him??? Not only did he demonstrate his insensitivity, but also a glaring lack of awareness of how the world works. Oh well, he's still a kid - perhaps he'll learn before he, too, is an "old person".

Seriously, this cause a job loss?
 

It wasn't outrageously funny or offensive, but overall, not bad. I think the Villages Media Group needs to grow a sense of humor.

To The Point
 

Neither